Demorest Approves Sale of 1997 Fire Truck to Support 2026 Police Needs

Demorest City Council voted unanimously Jan. 6 to declare the city’s 1997 Simon fire truck surplus and authorize its sale for no less than $5,000. The 4-0 action followed a request from Mr. Musselwhite, who told the council the proceeds would be used for police department needs in 2026.

The decision turns an aging piece of public-safety equipment into a potential source of funding for another public-safety function. Council established a floor for the truck’s sale, rather than a final sale price, leaving the value ultimately realized—and the amount potentially available to police—unsettled.

The truck first appeared on the Jan. 6 regular-session agenda as an item for council consideration; that listing alone did not signal what the council would do. During the meeting, Musselwhite asked for approval to surplus the truck, Mayor Harkness called for a motion, and Councilman Allen made and seconded the motion setting the $5,000 minimum. The council then approved it without opposition.

Musselwhite presented the proposed disposition as a way to support police department needs in 2026. Mayor Harkness put the matter to a vote, while Allen participated in the motion that framed the sale terms. All four voting council members supported the action; the minutes do not record a separate debate, public comment or an opposing position on the truck’s disposal.

The council’s vote is complete: the truck was approved for surplus sale with a minimum price of $5,000. It does not establish that a sale has occurred, identify a purchaser, report any actual proceeds, or document an appropriation or expenditure for police needs. Those outcomes remain unknown in the record.

The next public development would be a later city record showing whether Demorest sold the truck, for how much and where the proceeds were directed. Residents will also be watching for any changes to the sale terms, related costs or a later council action that revises or replaces the Jan. 6 authorization.